The Basics
by RedKetchup
Summary: These are the basics. Sanji and a grump. Competition and Robin. Nami and money. Franky and family. Brook and shows. Support and Luffy.


_-On a bad day they pretend that they don't care because they actually do._

Sanji doesn't give too much effort kicking Zoro when he comes stepping into the galley. Zoro is fierce and angry in response. His attempted blows are little bit more on the rough side, but that's alright because the cook doesn't give a shit.

So instead Sanji puts a bottle of sake in front of him (Which is generous for how much he usually gives.), and then he turns away with a murmured insult.

Zoro doesn't express any shock or surprise, and instead he doesn't bother hesitating before he tilts the bottle completely upside down and tries swallowing as much of the fiery liquid as he can. It burns on the way down and satisfies Zoro.

The only sounds filling the galley after that is of Sanji cooking and the distant calls of laughter coming from the deck.

"...Dinner better be good tonight," the marimo grumbles from the table.

Sanji barely quirks his lips at the words.

It's a form of thanks he supposes, even though it does cost the marimo a pot to the head.

* * *

_-Their challenges can be quite frightening, especially the ones requiring endurance over strength._

Luffy and Usopp have had races before, and there were times that they miraculously managed to get almost the whole crew to join them. One of the most memorable races had been where Luffy and Usopp were going to race on one of the beaches the crew were staying at.

They easily persuaded Franky to join them after convincing him that it was a form of a man's romance. Chopper was in the race out of enthusiasm, and after they decided that the girls would stand at the finish line Sanji passionately entered the competition. It only took a verbal argument between the swordsman and the cook to get Zoro to join. Brook had already lined up at the starting point minutes before they finished yelling while making some skull-joke.

The race truly was an unfortunate tragedy with two injured losers, eleven broken trees, six traumatized bystanders, and an undecided three-way tie.

Even so, competition was never an odd thing to find in the crew. If anything, more times than not it has motivated the members to do many of the crazy things they have done. There were always a turn of cheating, or an unfortunate series of moments when some of the crew did not even know half the rules in a game.

There was one rule though.

Never were any of the crew to ever challenge Robin to a trial and attempt to cheat.

She played just as _dirty._

* * *

_-Money is a funny subject...unless Nami is involved._

Nami had taken some of her precious time and patience to do an experiment every so often. You see, being the skilled person she is, she can often get away with enough treasures to keep her a very rich person. Unfortunately, she is a member of the Mugiwara no ichimi...which pretty much means money is hard to keep, even with her iron-willed fist.

But then, one day as she was counting the money supply and pouting about its ever decreasing amount, an idea came to her.

She could get her idiots to do the work with her, and then instead of getting the usual amount she could get double, or more.

Unluckily...it did not turn out for the best.

Luffy was difficult to work with in the first place, and out of the numerous times she tried to get him to get the concept of stealing and stealth, he couldn't do it right. He got the stealing down alright, but it defeats the point if it causes a whole marine regiment to come after you.

_"But Naaami! I can steal just fine! Ace even taught me how!"_

_"Urusai baka and just beat up the people with the freaking guns already!" she screeches._

Zoro, she figured, would be great for theft. The idiot could give someone that demon look of his, and then it would be like taking candy from a baby.

...Or taking a wallet from a simpleton.

But once again, Zoro was just as challenging as her idiot captain. He was stubborn to convince, and it took some verbal abuse on her part to make him get any motivation to do anything. Except Sanji-kun had a habit of interfering and that just distracted Zoro completely from the task at hand.

_"...How is it that we didn't even do any crimes, yet you both managed to get a pirate crew to come after us?" her voice drips with doom._

_"Sorry Nami-swan!"_

_"...Witch."_

Sanji-kun, as reliable as he usually can be, was as useful as the other two. She doesn't even need to elaborate on that one.

_"Oh Nami-Swan! You look so lovely when you want me steal money for you!"_

_"Shh-!"_

_"Eh? Did that guy just say he was a thief?"_

_"What? Were you just talking about a thief?"_

_"Yeah, that blond man and the red-haired woman over there are talking about it."_

_"Thieves?!"_

Usopp? He worked for a little while...until he nearly got beaten to a pulp by some huge guy. After that he would just outright refuse to help her...and by refusing she means he avoided her nervously whenever the subject came up.

Chopper worked until Usopp took him under his wing.

Everything Franky did had to be flashy.

Brook laughed really loudly...and wouldn't stop asking to see her panties.

So one night, after she entered the girls' cabin to go to sleep on a disappointing and violent day of failure, she noticed Robin sitting in the corner reading.

"Oh Navigator-san, I heard of what you were doing," she says.

And then the redhead notices the open bag of gold on her bed.

"Onee-chan!" she cried, her eyes in the shape of bellies.

* * *

_-The family dynamics are surprisingly very simple._

"Doctor-bro, I think you should head to bed," Franky offers from the other side of the table.

Chopper's head whips up and the quick movement makes his pink hat go lopsided. He brings a hoof up to rub his eyes,and he murmurs something that is intelligible, but Franky assumes it is supposed to be some excuse.

"No...I...up...with...two," is all he makes out, and it makes the cyborg snort in amusement.

"You mean 'I can stay up with you two'?" he asks.

Chopper nods slowly as he comprehends the words and then yawns widely.

Usopp stops tinkering with his newest invention and looks over to the little reindeer then back to Franky. The blue-haired man gives the long-nose a pointed look.

"Chopper, did I ever tell you about the great adventure I had with a two-headed lioness when I was eight?" he asks, rising and stretching.

Chopper's tired gaze has a spark of interest flicker in it.

"Two-headed!" he echoes in amazement.

"Yep, two-headed. It was one of the most difficult journeys I ever experienced." he leans down to whisper.

"Tell me more!" Chopper begs.

"Alright! Alright! Let me think of where to start..."

Chopper falls asleep halfway through. Usopp finished the tale anyway, even though Franky doesn't make awed expressions or comments. About fifteen minutes after the long-nosed sniper finishes his tale he is asleep at his workbench.

Franky lifts both of them over his shoulder and takes them to bed when he finishes his work.

* * *

_-Acting when it's necessary, and then providing the best show when it is not._

"What the hell are those pirates doing! Don't they want to help their fellow crewmate?!" the marine officer asks in astonishment.

His men have made a circle around the skeleton with the cane, and over across the room the rest of the crew is looking at the scene in amusement or laziness.

"Make it quick, I can't drink my beer in peace with those idiots here," Roronoa grumbles.

The cyborg Franky is not even looking over and is instead trying to convince the devil child of Ohara to drink a bottled beverage that might be Cola. The cat burglar Nami is watching in exasperation while listening to a long-nosed member tell some story to the pet Chopper. The captain is inhaling what seems to be everything in sight.

"I see what you mean Zoro-san! Except...I don't have any eyes! Yohohoho! Skull-joke!"

The captain pauses his inhaling to start laughing, and while the officer is watching in fury he doesn't realize that the skeleton has already brushed passed his men and seems to be placing his sword back into it's cane.

They didn't know what hit them.

* * *

_-Support. It's the foundation they are living on._

They care a lot, and constantly have each others' backs even if it doesn't always show. They can joke with each other, yell and fight with one another, and can sleep in a bundled mess without having to worry about breaking. They know the subtle things needed for each individual.

When Nami is having a bad day let her have her space, and then later make sure that she laughs enough to make herself cry. It reminds her of happiness.

Talk loudly to Brook when he seems distant, because he relies more on his hearing than anything else. When his nakamas' voices are loud in his non-existant ears it reminds him of the music he loves so much

When Robin is close to cracking and breaking it is usually around night time. It's a loneliness kind of deal, so soothing sounds and comforting touches are what bring her back to herself.

Usopp should be distracted in some way. Luffy and Chopper think that playing makes him feel better, so they usually get the rest of the crew to join. Somehow, at those times, he always seems to win the games.

Chopper loves hugs, and compliments. He feels pride, and he feels warmth in his heart. It chases away the sadness lingering, and he firmly believes that his nakama's smiles are what feeds the warmth.

Zoro doesn't need words to remind him of the friends he now has. He needs actions. After all, don't actions speak louder than words? By some means it is either the captain, cook, or the archeologist that notice his problems at first.

Franky becomes angry when he's hurting inside. It's a normal reaction, but when it happens the crew still makes an effort to help. Franky still remembers the time when he came storming up from the hold to find a barbecue being organized on the deck. Everyone drank Cola, and Franky found that it was nicer to have a party on the Sunny anyway.

Sanji spends a lot of time in the kitchen when he's upset, but can't seem to make anything. Robin was the first to suggest that the crew should make simple orders for the cook, and although Sanji could hear them from the mess he pretended he didn't. It cheered him up either way.

Luffy is difficult because Luffy is the crazy captain who has so many surprises that it is sometimes hard to know how he will react.

The one day they are eating and he suddenly breaks down.

_"I thought I had no one left...I chose to forget about my nakama because Ace was all that I thought I had left and-!" and he's breaking in the middle of lunch of all things._

_"Baka," one word grumble._

_"Oi oi! Luffy, it's alright!" nervous waving of the arms._

_"Luffy's crying!" the young voice wails._

_"Luffy, we're all here," calm and light._

_"You forgot about us? Geez!" fake anger._

_"I didn't know not giving you enough meat would bring this about. I'll just make more, calm down," pretend apathy._

_"Yeah bro! We're all here, just look! It's supaaa!" enthusiasm._

_"This is so moving! There are tears in my eyes! Ah...but I don't have eyes! Yohoho! Skull-joke!" humor._


End file.
